Tube lubricator



Jan. 6, 1942. r w kEL o 12,269,207

TUBE LUBRIGATOR Filed June 28, 1939 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 i'UNlTE DSTATES... PATENT OFF-ICE. I 2,269,207 A I TUBE LUBRICATOR JerseyApplication June 28, 1939, Serial No. 281,708 1 Claim. (p1. 80-11) Thisinvention relates to the rolling of metallic pipes and tubes, and moreparticularly to the novel methodand apparatus for internally lubricatingthe same immediately prior to the rolling operation.

In the art of rolling metallic pipes and tubes it haslong beenconventional to roll the pierced or tubular blank over a plug or mandrelin order to control the internal diameter and also to smooth out theinterior surface thereof.

face of the blank. The earliest expedient was to station at the inletside of the mill a man whose duty it was to insert a small quantity ofcoal dust, salt" or other medium in the blank immediately prior to itspassageover the plug or mandrel. Due to the highly heated-condition ofthe blank, combustiontakes place immediately and, as a result thereof;very little lubricating effect is obtained, and that only for ashortdistance from the lea-ding or advance end thereof.

" Another practice has been to provide mechanism constructed andarranged to introduce lubricant to the plug or mandrel through the barby which it is supported, but this results in the flow of oil onto therolls of the mill,thus reducing their tractive power by causingslippage.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novelapparatus for efiiciently lubrieating the interior of a metallic tubularblank in such manner that the lubricating medium cannot possibly come incontact with the' rolls of the mill.

Another object is the provision of means of the detail certainillustrative embodiments of the invention, this being indicative of butone'of' the number of ways in which the principles of the invention maybe employed.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a pipe or tube mill disclosing in sectionthe metal-working rolls, the entering trough, and part of the blankbeing processed; while the mandrel, mandrel bar and device of theinvention are in section;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line II-II of Figure 1;

This practice has resulted in severe wear on the plug or mandrel andscratcheson the interior sur- Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevationillustrating 55 bustible carbonaceous material.

the position of some of the instrumentalities of the apparatus of theinvention during a certain working phase thereof; and

Figure. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating anotherworking-phase.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates apair of rolls Whose axes occupy a common vertical plane, the adjacentportions of the peripheries of the rolls providing a horizontal line ofpass. Rolls of this type comprise What is referred to in the artas ahigh-mill; but it will be readily understood that the invention isapplicable to all typesof pipe or tube mills, including those which adVance the blank helically, such as Mannesmann or Steifel'mi1ls.

In the type of rolling referred to hereinabove (i. e. over plugormandrel) the plug or mandrel, designated herein-at 3, is disposedintermediate the rolls 2 and is held in position against thrust by meansof a mandrel 'bar 4 which is suitably supported in any suitable manner(not shown) froma distant point. I a

At the conclusion of the passage of the blank over the plug or mandrel3; the mandrel bar 4 lies within the tube; A second pair of rolls ofopposite rotation (not shown) but-referred to hereinafter as stripperrolls, is disposed on the return side of the mill. These stripper rollsare inoperative during the rolling operation but are brought into actionto strip the blank from the mandrel bar 4 and return 'it to the enteringend of the mill. The metal-working rolls 2 are inactive during thisphase. After the blank has been returned to the entering side of themill, it is again passed between the metal-working rolls 2 and theintermediately disposed plug or mandrel 3, thereby duplicating theoperating cycle.

The teaching of the invention comprises the injection into the leadingend of the workpiece, and while it is on the entering side 'of the mill,of a suitable lubricant, such as oil or other com- When using oil orother combustible carbonaceous material, its contact with a highlyheated tubular blank in insufficient air causes the production of carbonin the form of lampblack which is disposed on the interior surface ofthe blank. As the blank is engaged by themetal-working rolls 2- andforced over the plug or mandrel 3, the accumulation of lampblackprovides the desired lubrication. 1

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral I designates theentering trough on the entering side of the mill. This entering trough 1is shown (see Figure 2) as comprising a pair of downwardly convergentmetallic plates, the lower ends of which are spaced to provide anaperture 9. At a point which is adjacent the entry side of themetal-working rolls 2 there is provided immediately beneath the aperture9 in the entering trough l a suitable support shown in the presentinstance as comprising a pair of parallel spaced beams l2. Each of thespaced beams l2 carries an upwardly extending plate l3 to which there issecured on the adjacent sides thereof aligned bearings l4. Journaledwithin the bearings I4 is a short rotatable shaft 15 provided with anelongated vertical extension l6 which is adapted to extend into andthrough the aperture 9 provided by the space between the lower edges ofthe downwardly convergent plates of the entering trough I. The extensionI6 is provided with an interior bore 11 terminating adjacent the centerof the shaft IS on its inner end and on its outer end terminating in aright angular passage 20 which faces the direction of the feed of thetubular blank as it moves through the entering trough I. The rotatableshaft 15 is also provided with a downwardly depending portion 22 towhich there is connected a tension spring 23. This tension spring 23 issuitably secured in such manner as to bias the upward extension iii ofthe rotatable shaft l into a truly vertical position.

The rotatable shaft I5 is provided with an axial bore 25. Disposedwithin the bore 25 of the rotatable shaft [5 is a tube 26 which issecured against rotation, as at 21, to the adjacent upwardly extendingplate l3. The tube 26 is provided with a small vertical aperture 28which is adapted to register with the inner end of the bore I! of theupward extension l6 of the rotatable shaft l5 when the said extension I6is in a truly vertical position. When the extension I6 is in otherpositions, the bore I! does not register with the aperture 28 in thetube 26 and communication is therefore cut off. This tube 26 isconnected by a suitable pipe line 29 to a source of lubricant (notshown). Disposed in the pipe line 29 between the source of lubricant andthe tube 26 is a valve 30 which is operated by a solenoid 3| or othersuitable device. I

The solenoid 3|, or equivalent device, is arranged to operate the valve30 in such manner that the lubricant is admitted to the bore IT in theupward extension I 6 of the rotatable shaft 15 as soon as the workpieceenters the entering trough I and to stop the flow of lubricant as soonas the blank contacts the upper end of the extension l6, which isdisposed in its path. When there is no blank in the entering trough 1,the tension spring 23 normally holds the extension l6 of the rotatableshaft 15 in truly vertical position; and while in this position thevalve 30 is closed by the solenoid, or equivalent device,

3| and no oil flows through the bore I! of the vertical extension I6 ofthe rotatable shaft l5; and, accordingly, no oil is ejected through theright angular aperture 20 which forms the nozzle of the ejecting device.Of course, when the vertical extension N5 of the rotatable shaft 15 isin its truly vertical position, communication is established back to thevalve 30, as previously described.

In operation:

When the blank, designated at B, starts into the entering trough I, thesolenoid, or equivalent device, 3| is suitably operated to open thevalve 36 wherein the lubricant is permitted to flow and to be ejectedfrom the aperture which forms the nozzle. A spray of lubricant thusenters through the leading end of the tubular blank B. As the blank B ismoved towards the metalworking rolls 2, it contacts the upward extensionl6 of the rotatable shaft l5 and causes the same to be tripped into theposition shown at X in Figure 3. This causes the bore 11 of the up-'ward extension IE to move out of registration with the verticalaperture 28 in the tube 26, thus shutting oif the flow of lubricant.

After the tubular blank has moved completely over the upward extensionl6 of the rotatable shaft IS, the solenoid, or equivalent device, 3|

is operated to close the valve 30, thus shutting off the flow oflubricant to the tube 26. At this time the vertical extension l6 of therotatable shaft I5 is returned to its original vertical position by thespring 23.

Referring to Figure 4, the letter Y designates the position of thevertical extension 16 of the rotatable shaft l5 while the blank is beingreturned by the stripper rolls (not shown) to its original position inthe entering-trough-I. The valve 30 having been closed, and no flow oflubricant permitted to the tube 26, there is, of course, no ejection oflubricant, and the instrumentalities of the invention are inoperativeother than the tilting of the upward extensions IE to the position Y andthe stretching of the tension spring 23. When the blank has been movedentirely over the vertical extension [6, it returns to its originalposition, at which time the sole: noid, or equivalent device, 3! isoperated to open the valve 30 and repeat the cycle.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the presentinvention, it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactlythereto, since various modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention, as defined by the following claim.

I claim: r

In combination with a pipe or tube mill, a device for lubricating theinterior of a tubular blank including a retractable ejector devicedisposed in the path of the tubular blank in its movement toward themill, said retractable ejector device comprising a pivoted memberextending into the path of thetubular blank and providing a feedorifice, means for supplying a lubricant under pressure to said pivotedmember and through said feed orifice, said pivoted member being adaptedfor movement into its retracted position by contact therewith of thetubular workpiece, means operable by the retraction of said pivotedmember for interrupting the supply of lubricant to said feed orifice,means for discontinuing the supply of said'lubricant to said pivotedmember when the latter is in its retracted position, means for restoringsaid pivoted member to its unretracted position, said last named meansbeing operable to restore communication of said feed orifice with thelubricant-supplying means, and means operable by the approach of theworkpiece toward said pivoted member for supplying lubricantto saidpivoted member and through'the feed orifice thereof.

JOHN W. KELSO.

